Saturday, October 11, 2008

$9.95 for a 3 pack of 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 Field Notes, with 48 pages of white graph paper. Bonus goodies received included a Field Notes brand click pen and pencil, along with a cool sticker that missed it's opportunity to have it's photo taken.

Similarities abound when sitting next to the Moleskine Pocket Cahier, but it ends once you get to the paper. Moleskines run about $6.99 for a 3 pack and have 64 pages. (plain ruled or graph.) the paper is ivory in color and is horrible to write on. (Like trying to write on dead leaves.) For a fountain pen enthusiast such as myself, the Moleskines are a waste of money.

The rear of the packaging shows Field Notes company slogan, "I'm not writing it down to remember it later, I'm writing it down to remember it now." Good stuff. Completely applicable. I'm always carrying a small notebook (in addition to my regular journal) to jot down ideas and remember stuff that I need to do.

While I absolutely *love* the intentionally plain generic packaging. Some people may prefer the plain cover on the Cahier, which screams to be doodled upon. (I'll probably still doodle on the Field Notes.)

The inside back cover contains all kinds of useful information. No back pocket, but again - I'm always more concerned with paper quality that the *extras* that try to make a journal out to be better than it really is.

Read closely and you will see: "PRINTED AND MANUFACTURED IN THE USA.&quot; Yaaaaaaay!!!! Whooooo-hoooooooo! (Moleskines are manufactured in China)

Inside shot of the front cover and my pen test. So let's jump to the quick - NO FOUNTAIN PEN INKS BLED OR FEATHERED ON THE FIELD NOTES PAPER. AT ALL. PERIOD. END OF DISCUSSION. :o)

Sharpies & Lumocolor bled, but that's to be expected. I also decided to try my watercolors. On the upper right side of the page, I tried a few scribbles with my Neocolor II watersoluable crayons. I doodled a little, then ran over them with a Niji Waterbrush. They did just fine. Then I tried painting a bit with my watercolors. (All artist-grade tube paint.) The paper handled the paint pretty well - better than I expected. Colors remained pretty vibrant, and while I wouldn't necessarily specifically buy Field Notes for painting, I would say that they will definitely accept a light wash and so throw one in your portable paint box - why not?

An American company is making a fountain pen friendly notebook. No fountain pen inks bled here. Sharpie & Lumocolor bled as expected. Pilot Petit tried to push through ever so slightly. White paper with tan gridded ruling.

We have to convince Field Notes to make a 5 x 8 hard back book.

Paper similar to Rhodia Graph Pads, but ink seems to dry a little faster here.

I wish the covers were a little thicker, but I know for sure that I have no need to ever buy another pocket Moleskine Moleskine Cahier, EVER AGAIN.

This is a great review, I am going to have a look at their products. I'm not sure how I feel about squared paper or the pocket size, hopefully they do other sizes but I guess I'll find that out when I click their website.

And JB bet me to it - I want to read your review on the Studio! I was thinking "how did I miss that you had a Lamy Studio" - this is it's first appearance, right? (or are my observation powers really weak?)

Thanks for the blog comment, and yes I'm still drawing, but I've had a hard time finding the time this last week... I NEED to, you are very right when you say it's therapeutic.

Good eye! Yes, this is the first actual appearance of the Studio, but I did mention it in an earlier post. I'm writing up the review right now, and will have it posted later today.

To the best of my knowledge, the Field Notes are coming in only one paper size & are all gridded. The grid pattern is light enough that it doesn't bother me at all, but I can understand other people's preferences.

I love field notes, moleskines, moleskine volants, cahiers, and clairefontaine. All of the moleskines that I have ever owned were 100% fountain pen friendly. (even with my friends BB Italic/stub hybrid). Field notes are cool... but I never understood writing on graph paper!

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* Review Disclaimer

Anytime I write a review I attempt to stay as objective as possible, but ultimately, it boils down to my own personal aesthetic and functional preferences. What works for me, may not suit your needs and vice versa.

It's also possible that my first impressions of a product will change over extended use. Kind of like eating ice cream every day at every meal. It's great at first, but you eventually get cravings for something different. Or maybe the ice cream goes bad...

There are many variables that exist when testing a product, and many times I only am able to touch the tip of the iceberg. Use my reviews as a guide only, and continue to do your own research to find what works best for you.

And as with every review I write, remember that "YMMV." (Your Mileage May Vary) You may choose test a product in the exact same way and due to atmospheric conditions, we may not arrive at the same conclusions.

In the interest of fairness, many of the products that have been reviewed on my blog have been provided by the manufacturer (and in some cases a retailer) specifically for this purpose. I *always* look over the practical functionality of a product and then discuss how it will work to best suit my own personal needs while also addressing how others might use it.